Circlewinds
by December Dragons
Summary: Finally Complete! Book one of the Naruto: December Dragons Chronicles. Gaara puts a bodyguard over Naruto, one that has many dark secrets...
1. Protect My Friend

Disclaimer: due to bureaucratic federal laws I do not own Naruto in any way, shape, or form.

Protect My Friend

A dark cloaked figure was standing on the edge of a cliff a couple of miles from Konoha in the dead of night. It held a headband and seemed to be looking sadly at it. In a distorted voice it began to whisper to itself. "Why?" it mourned. "Why did you have to get murdered?" the gloved hand clutched the headband and brought it to what would be its heart. "Before I die, I swear will avenge you...Sasori-sama." Then it jumped off and floated slowly down to the ground below. The shadow stuffed the headband in a pouch under its cloak. "I shall find your murderer and kill him." Slowly it walked to Konoha. This was just a self-imposed reconnaissance mission, to scout out its security.

About three-fourths of a mile away from the village, the cloak made a string of complicated hand seals and turned invisible. When it reached the village it circled the walls, careful not to make a noise. No need to let the Leaf's shinobi be aware of its presence, not yet anyway. After making detailed mental notes, it performed more hand seals and teleported itself away.

The next morning in the Village Hidden in the Sand, the kazekage summoned a certain kunoichi. Gaara sighed. After the deal with him and the Akatsuki he became worried for Naruto's safety. The ninja he summoned was to protect Naruto and put himself in a state of peace of mind. She was one of the best graduates of the ninja school he and his siblings started about three years ago. Her specialties were water-, fire-, earth-, and wind-style jutsus and she's becoming a real prodigy with puppetry.

His thoughts were interrupted when his secretary Matsuri came in. "Masago is here, Gaara-sama."

"Send her in," the red-head replied.

A fifteen-year-old young kunoichi entered his office. She had short black hair, a black shirt, shorts, and gloves. The Sand headband was proudly displayed on her forehead. She bowed respectfully and said, "You summoned me, Kazekage-sama?"

"Yes," he said, rolling up a letter. "Take this scroll to the Hokage in Konoha. You are to protect a certain shinobi by the name of Uzumaki Naruto. Protect him with your life." Gaara handed Masago the scroll. "Details are in there. Feel free to read it. You have until sunrise tomorrow to prepare for the mission."

Masago accepted the scroll and looked at his desk. There were piles of papers and documents that needed signing or reviewing over and a hardly touched cup of tea. She adopted a slightly pissed off expression. "When was the last time you ate?" Gaara continued to sign papers. "If you continue to deny yourself like this you won't be able to protect this village." She turned to Matsuri, who was waiting near the door, and complained, "Why aren't you feeding your man, Matsuri?"

A now startled secretary blushed and barely said, "He's not my man..."

Gaara rolled his eyes. Masago always liked to rough Matsuri this way. Sometimes it made him wish to tell Masago to ease it up a bit.

Masago went behind Gaara's chair and threw her arms around his neck. "If you don't eat more often I'll give you a big, slobbery kiss," she threatened, jokingly making kissing noises. Matsuri almost died.

"Later," Gaara said, still signing and being completely oblivious to her remark. Come to think of it, she always liked to pick on EVERYONE like this, he thought.

"Well, that sounds like a definite promise," Masago said, releasing her grip and headed out the door. "See to it he sleeps more often, Matsuri."

"Wh-what's that supposed top mean?" Matsuri stuttered.

"You know," the comedian said, ruffling up her hair. "See you later, Rumpelstiltskin." Then she finally and miraculously left the office.

Still not breaking the gaze he had on his precious paperwork Gaara said, "Take a fifteen minute break. You don't look too well."

Matsuri started to object, but she just sighed and hung her head. "Yes, Gaara-sama."

The next morning Masago left the village for Konoha with only a backpack with a few scrolls, some money, clothes, and packaged snacks. She looked at her map and noted, "Only a few days to Konoha..." With that aside, she started moving toward the Leaf.

A few days later in Konoha...

Uzumaki Naruto sleepily crawled out of his bed and made himself breakfast. A few minutes later there was a knock at the door. Naruto walked over to the door and opened it. Sakura and Hinata were at the door. "Oh, hey, Sakura-chan . Hey, Hinata," he groggily greeted.

"Naruto, we need to go on the way to the Sand Village and meet up with a kunoichi and bring her to Tsunade-sama," Sakura said slowly, making sure he understood every word.

"Why would a kunoichi be walking by herself?" Naruto mumbled, still not grasping reality.

"Just get dressed and meet us outside, awake and conscious." Naruto just closed the door. Sakura sighed and asked Hinata, "What _do_ you see in him?"

Hinata just blushed. She was still having a hard time grasping the fact that Naruto came back to the village. They just walked outside and waited.

Naruto eventually came down. Sakura huffed and they walked toward the Sand Village.

Masago was walking when she sensed something coming. She hid herself in nearby bushes and waited. A party of three appeared, one with pink hair, one with yellow hair, and the last one with blue hair. Who are they? She wondered. Before she could find out, she mad some hand seals and four massive walls of mud surrounded them.

"What the--" Naruto exclaimed, as mud walls surrounded him, Sakura, and Hinata. The walls stopped forming, nearly forty feet in the air. Sakura prepared to smash through the walls until a voice stopped her.

"Who are you?"

They looked up to see a kunoichi with black hair and clothes standing on top of the wall. Sakura noticed the Sand headband on her forehead. "Are you from the Sand village?" Sakura asked.

"Who wants to know?" the assailant squinted.

"We're from Konoha," Sakura answered. "We're supposed to meet with you."

"Identify yourselves," she commanded.

"I'm Sakura," Sakura said, pointing to herself. "She's Hinata, and the dimwit's Naruto."

"Hey!" Naruto objected.

The assailant6 performed hand sealed and the walls slowly sunk back into the ground. She walked over to them. When she got close enough Naruto noticed that she and Hinata had the same eyes. He leaned over and whispered to Hinata, "Are you two related?"

Hinata slightly blushed and whispered back, "I-I don't think so."

Then the assailant shocked them all. "My name is Hyuga Masago."

She looked at their shocked expressions. "What's wrong? Aren't you supposed to take me to your Hokage or something?"

Naruto broke the silence. "Guess you are related."

Sakura regained her composure. "We're not far off. Shall we go?"

"Let's," Masago agreed. "carry my bag, dimwit." She threw her backpack to him. Naruto got annoyed. She didn't know him for ten minutes yet and she's already starting to insult him!

With that they made their way to Konoha.

A knock came at Tsunade's office door. "Yes?" she asked.

Shizune popped her head in. "They're back with the Sand-nin."

"Send them in," she beckoned. Masago, Naruto, Hinata, and Sakura came in. Masago handed Tsunade the letter. She read it and handed it back. Tsunade looked at Naruto and said, "It said that Gaara's worried about you so he sent Masago to be your bodyguard. She is to room with you in your apartment."

"What?!" Naruto was shocked and appalled by this. Sakura and Hinata were not as shocked as he was.

"It's already been decided," the Hokage said firmly. "Go and set up her things."

Naruto huffed and left with Masago. Tsunade asked Hinata, "Any relations?"

"No," Hinata admitted.

"I'll ask for more information on her," Tsunade said. "In the mean time, you and Sakura make sure Naruto actually set her up with some sort of living quarters."


	2. Masago the Babysitter

**Author's note: Sorry for not putting up another chapter, but (da-da-da-da-ta-da!!!) here's another chapter. Enjoy ******

Masago the Babysitter

At Naruto's house….

"This is quaint," Masago said, inspecting Naruto's home. "Put that bag anywhere, sweetie."

Naruto was taken back. Sweetie? Me? WTF?!

"Sit down," Masago commanded. Naruto sat on his bed. She sat on a chair. "Now, since I have to protect you, tell me everything about yourself. Likes. Dislikes. Hobbies. Goals. Those kind of things."

Just then there was a knock on the door. Masago opened the door to discover Sakura and Hinata. "Just what I needed!" she said, pulling them into Naruto's room. She sat them down on the floor and looked at Hinata square in the eye. "Tell me all about Naruto."

Hinata blushed. "W-Well…." She stuttered.

Sakura saved the day. "He's stupid and childish." She summed up. "He absolutely loves ramen and aspires to become the Hokage." Naruto just said nothing.

"He's also strong, caring, and never abandons his friends," Hinata added. _Thank God she's here_, Naruto thought.

"Hmm," Masago mused. "Just what I thought." She turned to Naruto. "Let's eat."

**xXx**

At Ichiraku's….

"You eat this everyday?" Masago said, looking at a bowl of beef ramen.

"Yep." Naruto said through a mouthful of ramen.

_I thought Gaara-sama's diet was bad_, Masago thought. "Well, from now on, less ramen, more vitamin-enriched foods," she vowed.

"WHAT?!" Naruto almost choked on some ramen. How can she speak such blasphemy? "Bu-But ramen's my life! I can't part with it! NEVER!"

"I'm your bodyguard," Masago said. "I'm responsible for your well-being. You're probably severely malnourished. You need to keep up that strength Hinata-chan told me about."

"Fine!" Naruto surrendered. There are ways he can still indulge in the succulent taste of ramen.

On the way back Masago drilled more questions out of Naruto. "Do you have a girlfriend?"

"No," Naruto said, wondering where this was going.

"Not yet anyway," she corrected. "Right?" From that point on Naruto started to ignore her. "I bet I can guess who you like."

"You can try," he said, not really paying attention.

Masago gave up. "There are more than one way to skin a cat," she mused out loud.

"What?"

"Nothing.":

At his house they separately got themselves ready for bed. Masago bit her thumb and made some hand seals.

"What are you doing?" Naruto asked.

"You'll see," Masago said. She put her hand flat on the floor and said, "Summoning Jutsu." A seal ran from her hand onto the floor and there was a puff of smoke. The smoke dissipated revealing a black house cat.

"What's up?" the cat asked Masago.

"Long time no see, Yoshimaru," she greeted back. "Watch him throughout the night and wake me up at eight in the morning."

"Will do." With that Yoshimaru jumped on Naruto's bed and sat at the foot of it. Naruto went to his bed and Masago went to her futon.

**xXx**

The next morning they went to Tsunade's office to see what they can do. "I'm sorry but the elders won't let me put him on any missions," she apologized.

"Well…." Masago thought for a minute. "Is there anything to do here?"

"Not really," Tsunade answered.

"Do you play any board games, Naruto-kun?" Masago asked him.

"Not really," he replied. 'They make my head hurt."

"I'm not surprised."

"What was that?"

"Nothing."

Just then Shikamaru came in. Masago went up to him and inspected him. "You look like the board game type." She summed up. "My name's Masago. What's yours?" She extended her hand.

"Nara Shikamaru," he said, shaking her hand. "I don't have time to play games now."

"Yes, you do," Tsunade corrected. "Play."

_How troublesome_, Shikamaru thought. "Alright." They set up a table, two chairs, and chess board up, and they started to play.

"I heard a little about you, Nara," Masago said, trying to start a conversation.

"Uh-huh," was all he said.

"Temari-sama thinks highly of you."

"Uh-huh."

"Can you say anything other than that?"

"Sure," Shikamaru said. "I can say checkmate."

"I thought you were good at board games," Naruto complained.

"Not really," Masago said, setting up for another round. "I even suck at the game of Life. I get sets of twins and lose them all to the flu or run them over with my car or something."

Shikamaru and Masago played a couple more rounds of chess. Then he reported and got another mission from Tsunade. He then promptly left.

**xXx**

Masago was later lying down in a field. "there's nothing to do," she moaned.

"We're doing nothing when I could be training!" Naruto "enlightened" her.

"That's a good idea," Masago said. "Let's spar."

"Huh?"

"Spar. You know, fight?" Then she thought for a moment. "You just said that to get rid of me, didn't you?" Silence. "That's okay. I just have to keep you in this village. I got things to do anyway." She got up and started walking away.

Naruto blinked in disbelief. _I finally got rid of her! _He rejoiced. Then he ran off, undoubtedly for ramen.


	3. Interrogations

**Chapter 3: Interrogations**

Naruto was walking along a road when the scenery changed. There were dying trees in a swamp-like area. He instantly knew (and magically, at that) that this was a genjutsu, but before he could break it someone spoke to him. "Who killed me?"

Naruto turned toward the direction of the voice. It was Sasori! Or at least it looked like him. "I don't know what you're talking about," Naruto lied.

Sasori just squinted. Then he disappeared in a wisp. He was replaced by a cloaked figure. "I know you're lying," it said. "You know who killed him. Tell me. You will be spared."

"How could I be certain of that?" Naruto challenged.

"This is getting no where. If you won't tell me, I'm sure your friends would. I know all about you. I've been watching you for months. You're a very dull shinobi." Then the figure sank into the ground. "Continue with your business.

Then vines with thorns grew out. Heads of his friends grew out and started asking him questions. "Why didn't you tell him? Thanks to you, now I can't rest in peace!"

At that note Naruto finally broke the genjutsu and things returned to normal. He went back to bed to nap this off, but after he got some ramen of course.

**xXx**

"Getting information about Naruto is harder than squeezing blood out of a turnip," Masago complained. Then, to her dismay (sarcasm), she saw Lee, Tenten, and Neji practicing with each other. "Maybe they'll tell me more about him," she pondered. "Hey, do you know Naruto?" she called out.

"Who wants to know?" Neji questioned in his usual stuck-up way.

"My name is Masago. I'm watching over Naruto," she said. Lee and Tenten were a little surprised that Masagto and Neji ha d the same eyes.

Lee asked, "Are you a Hyuga?"

"My surname is Hyuga, yes," she replied. "Why?"

"How come a Hyuga came out of the Nation of Wind?" Neji inquired.

"I was born in another country far away and was adopted by a family in Sunagakure. I still kept my family name," Masago answered. "But enough about me, what can you tell me about Naruto?"

"Well," Lee started. Author whinces "He has the flame of youth burning inside him, like a huge conflagration locked up in his bones." Lee's eyes were burning with what looked like actual fire.

"Is he okay?" Masago asked.

"He's fine," Tenten replied, throwing a bucket of water that she got out of thin air on Lee's face. The flames became black smoke coming from his eyes.

"Well, that's what everyone says about him, sorta," Masago said. She looked around. "You were training, I take it."

"Yes, we were," Neji said.

"Can I train with you all? I'm bored stiff!" she begged.

_With watching Naruto, I can see why she would be bored_, Tenten thought. Neji gave her a mean look as if he read her mind. She looked at him, blushed a little (a pinch, really), and asked, "What?"

Lee then grabbed her hands and said, "I see that the flames of youth are burning inside you, too!" Tenten doused his flaming eyes with another bucket full of water.

"Charming," Masago said sarcastically.

"Let's spar," Neji suggested.

"I'll take on Mr. Flames-of-Youth," Masago said.

"I'll be honored," Lee accepted. After they got ready, Lee started throwing a lot of punches and kicks at her, but she blocked them with either mud walls or her hands. Masago made some seal and blew a huge fireball at Lee. He dodged it and came right behind her. He kicked her up into the air and gave her a taste of the Primary Lotus. Everyone thought that she was done for until her faced started to crack. It turned out that, like Kankuro's fighting style, her real body was a puppet. Masago appeared out of the ground with threads of chakra extending from her fingertips to her puppet. With her fingers she commanded her puppet to wrap its limbs around Lee. Then a hatch in its head opened up revealing a chainsaw blade which started rotating at a high rate of speed. Lee then smartly surrendered. The puppet disappeared in a puff of smoke, releasing Lee.

"Wow! That was amazing, Masago!" Tenten complimented.

"Nice sparring," Lee said, shaking Masago's hand.

Neji was the only one who didn't looked a bit surprised. "Why didn't you use Jyuuken or activated or Byakugan?"

"Use what and activated my what?" Masago asked quizzically.

"You're a Hyuga and you don't even know the basics?"

"No one could do any of those where I came from," Masago defended herself.

"Whatever," Neji said. "Tenten, Lee, we have to go." With that they left. "Learn how to become a real Hyuga."

_Asshole_, Masago thought. Then she got a brainstorm. Hinata's a Hyuga, right? And she's a hell of a lot nicer than Asshole-_dono_. Maybe she'll teach her Jyuuken or how to activate her Byaku-byaku-whatever. With that she ran off to find Hinata.

**xXx**

Masago found Hinata near Ichiraku's. _Fishy_, author thought "Teach me the Hyuga arts and let me feel the flames of youth," she jokingly asked.

"You met Lee, haven't you?" Hinata asked.

"Yes," Masago admitted, "but I seriously need your help."

"Where should we begin…?" Hinata mused.

**xXx**

Masago came to Naruto's pad around nine at night and found Naruto suffering from a fever. "What did you stuff in your mouth this time?" He was semi-unconscious.

Worried, Masago got Sakura. She checked him over but couldn't find a cause for the fever. "Sorry," Sakura apologized.

Masago was distraught. _I was supposed to watch him! _She quickly regained her composure. She made some seals and put her right hand on Naruto's forehead. After a few moments Naruto's fever subsided.

"What did you do?" Sakura asked.

"Traveled to his mind, found the cause of his fever, and got rid of it." She looked at Sakura. "We need to talk to the Hokage-sama immediately.

**xXx**

Masago and Sakura told Tsunade what they knew about the genjutsu Naruto was under. "Who knew that a genjutsu would give someone a fever," Sakura said.

"I _never_ even heard of that before," Tsunade admitted. "Anyhow we can't let Naruto be all by himself anymore. Masago, you know what to do."

Said kunoichi bowed and said, "Yes, Hokage-sama."

**xXx**

**_Author's Note: Okay, this is how this will work: if you want me to put more chapters in this story you have to write reviews for it so I can know that this story is still being read and liked. This action will make me put more chapters and make you, the reader(s), very very (hopefully) happy. Arigatou for listening to my pleas._**


	4. Kunoichi Night Out

**Kunoichi Night Out**

A few weeks passed and Naruto got better. Masago got more free time. Yoshimaru, the summoned black cat, watches Naruto. "Stop doing that," Naruto said.

_Stare._

"Yoshimaru?"

_Stare_.

"I can't enjoy my ramen if you keep doing that."

_Stare._

"Naruto," Masago called. "I'm going out with some of the girls. I'll be back."

_Me? Alone? With Yoshimaru?_ Naruto panicked.

_Stare._

**xXx**

Sakura, Hinata, Masago, and Tenten spent the day doing usual girl things—shopping, eating, shopping, you get the idea (I'm not sexist, I swear! Author defends himself.). After that they crashed at Sakura's house, almost literally.

"Okay, who do you all like?" Masago said. She received puzzled stares. "What? I'd like to know. I like these kind of things." She sat on a couch. "Sakura, spill the beans."

"Well, I like Sasuke," Sakura said. "You don't know him. He's the most handsome shinobi ever. He left Konoha about three years ago to train under Orochimaru." Sakura and everyone else grimaced a little.

"I remember Orochimaru," Masago said. "He killed the last Kazekage, Gaara-sama's father." She paused for a moment. "Okay. One out of three. Tenten, who do you like?"

"No one in particular," Tenten replied sheepishly.

"Not even Neji or Mr. Flame-of-Youth?"

"I'm a little fond of them both, but I don't like-like them."

"Okay." Masago turned to Hinata.

_Oh, shit,_ Hinata thought. "I-I don't like anybody," she lied, horridly.

"Bullshit!" everyone said in chorus, which made Hinata blush.

"Everybody knows, Hinata," Sakura said, "that you like Naruto."

"Everyone?" Hinata repeated.

"Except Mr. Future-Hokage," Masago said. "He's clueless about it. You can advertise that throughout the Nation of Fire and he still wouldn't be able to figure it out."

"What about you, Masago?" Tenten asked. "Do you have yearnings to be with anyone in particular?"

"No," she replied.

"No one?"

"Nobody."

"You sure?"

"I'm in the same boat as you," Masago admitted. "I met some very handsome shinobi and Suna, Konoha, and elsewhere. I mean, I love Gaara-sama, but it's a professional love, like most Suna shinobi have for their Kazekage. I'd be willing to lose my arm or even my life for him and the village, but that's about it." She paused for a minute. "I envy you all. You have found people to love and cherish. Take care of them."

They were all a little speechless.

"Don't let me bring down the mood," Masago broke the silence. "Turn on the tube."


	5. The Shade Revealed

**The Shade Revealed**

_Time is running out. I must hurry_, the cloaked figure mused. It had isolated and interrogated most of Naruto's ninja friends, but to no avail. Then it saw Sakura walking along the street. _Perfect_, it thought. _She's next._

Sakura was just minding her own business when she realized that the road looked longer than usual. She realized that it was a genjutsu and was about to dispel it before a voice stopped her, "Don't…do…it…."

She was surprised to see a wounded Masago limping towards her. "IT has been looking for someone, Sakura."

"Who's looking for me?" Sakura asked.

"A cloaked thing," Masago replied. "It's looking for Sasori's killer. Do you know anything about it?"

"Yes, Chiyo-baasama and I killed him," Sakura said, almost non-chalant, but worried about Masago.

Masago's head seemed to perk up a bit. "Be careful. Or you'll become like the Third Kazekage…or so it says…."

"Who's this mysterious person?" Sakura asked, her voice showing hints of fear.

"It's his former student," she said, sinking into the ground. "Be careful, Sakura. Be careful."

With that the genjutsu dispelled itself. Sakura was a wee shaky, but she hid it well. She went on home, deciding not to tell anyone of this.

**xXx**

A few days later Sakura was practicing on the training field Team Seven used to train at. "Damn that Kakashi-sensei!" she cursed, punching a pole in the ground. "No matter how much I tell him to be here on time he rarely is!"

"Sakura," a deep voice called. Sakura turned around, kunai in hand. She never heard that voice before. Seeing no one, she slowly resumed what she was doing. "Sakura."

"Who's there?" she demanded.

The shade materialized in front of her. "Finally, we meet," it simply stated.

"You must be Sasori's student."

"Indeed, I am."

"What's under the cloak?" 

"Fight me and find out," it invited. Sakura rushed forward but the shade disappeared. It appeared behind her and tapped her shoulder, but when she turned around it was gone.

_Is this a genjutsu? _Sakura wondered. Then a kunai grazed her right shoulder.

"No, my dear," the cloak reassured her. "This battle is very real." It performed hand seals and a mud wall hit Sakura in the chin.

She landed on her feet and started throwing hard, fast punches. The shade blocked all of them rather well. It then sank into the ground. Sakura punched the ground creating crevices. It lunged up and gave her a blow to the face. Tumbling back Sakura landed a kick on its arm, a cracking sound resounding from it.

"Now you can't use hand seals anymore, bastard," she said playfully.

"On the contrary, my precious flower," it said. Then its arm seemed to heal itself and it flexed its hands.

"That can't be!" she exclaimed.

"I can regenerate my bones," it replied.

_Oh well_, Sakura surmised. She made more cracks in the ground, hoping to make it difficult for the shade to stand. _It's over now_, she thought.

"Pathetic girl," it said, performing hand seals. "You disgust me."

That remark entered Sakura's skull, careening into every crevice. She remembered how a young boy a few years ago used to tell her that.

"You need to pay attention, sweetie," it sneered. Sakura pulled herself back into reality only to find water shooting out of the cracks like geysers. The water filled an invisible tank-like thing and stopped when it was about twenty feet deep. The cloak manipulated a bunch of kunai to swim like a school of piranhas. They darted along Sakura's skin cutting her severely. The shadow made a charka rope and started to strangle Sakura with it. As consciousness ebbed from her being, she heard it sneer, "Sssh. Go to sleep, Sakura. Go to sleep."

**xXx**

Sakura woke up to find herself tied to a tree with charka seals on it. She looked over at the shadow. It appeared to be studying a bunch of scrolls. "What are you going to do with me?" she asked.

"Deciding your fate," it said, not looking up from its scrolls. "I've been pondering what to do with you and it finally clicked. Sasori-sensei died a living puppet." It paused a little. "Thus you will also die, as a living puppet."

Sakura's eyes widened in shock. _What kind of psycho would do this to her? _"Who are you?" she demanded.

"Someone who has been abandoned when it was six. Someone who traveled far and wide for a decent home but never got one. Someone who was taken under Sasori-sensei's wing. Someone who has to baby-sit a loudmouth ninja."

Sakura's eyes widened even more (if possible). "You can't be--!"

"Yes, I am," it said, pulling down its hood revealing a face. Its voice turned into a more feminine one. "That person is me."

"Masago!"

**xXx**

**Author's Note: I realize that this chapter may suck, but whatever. Sorry that it took too long. In about two weeks I may put up another chapter. See ya then!**


	6. The Final Fight

**The Final Fight**

"Mmm…Ramen," Naruto said in his sleep, drooling all over his pillow. His alarm clock finally went off and landed on his head. "OW!" Naruto groggily looked at his clocked and realized what time it was. "Shit! I'm late! If I don't get to the training grounds pronto Sakura will beat the shit out of me!" After taking a swig out of an opened carton of mil he left while getting dressed.

**xXx**

At the training grounds….

While Masago was busy goiong over her scrolls she heard soft footsteps behind her. She smiled. "Come out of hiding. I know you're there."

A figure jumped out of the tree and landed behind Masago and Sakura. "Figures you'd know it was me," it said.

"Your footsteps betray you," she said, standing up. Masago turned around and finished, "Gaara-sama."

Sakura's eyes widened and said, "Gaara? What are you doing here?"

"I knew she'd do something like this," he said, as calm as stone.

"Why'd you send her in the first place?" the bound pink-haired girl demanded.

"That wasn't easy, Sakura," Masago said, shrugging her shoulders nonchalantly. "Good thing Gaara-sama's good at explaining things."

Gaara didn't miss a beat. "I don't know exactly when and how she did it, but Masago put me in a hypnotic trance. It still let me do things I'd otherwise normally do to avoid suspicion. She must've planted the idea of sending her during that time. A week after I sent her I came out of the trance and was ill up until this morning."

"You told it beautifully, Gaara-sama," Masago said with fake anime tears pouring down her face. "It moved me!"

"You shouldn't spend your time crying," Gaara said. Some sand burst out behind Masago.

She looked behind herself and dodged it. "Amazing," she said. "Even though you don't have the bijuu anymore you can still manipulate sand to your will."

Gaara motioned the sand after Masago. She pulled out a scroll and made hand steals while still holding it. She unrolled it and said, "Puppet Summoning Jutsu: Tori! Mongoose!" A big puppet bird and a puppet mongoose came out of it in a puff of smoke. Commanding Tori with her left hand and Mongoose with her right, she jumped in a tree. "Wind Scythe Jutsu!" she said, manipulating the chakra strings. Tori started to flap its wings and blew the sand away. The cutting gusts of wind came toward Gaara, but he surrounded himself in protective sand just in time.

"Never thought it'd be that easy to get rid of your sand," Masago remarked.

The sand barrier fell into a heap and Gaara was showing signs of exhaustion. _Without Shukaku's help I can't control my sand_, he thought to himself. _I won't be able to fend her off much longer_.

Then Mongoose wrapped itself around Gaara. _Looks like this is it…again,_ he thought, and then he closed in eyes in preparation of what was to come.

"Rasengan!"

"Wha--?" Gaara said in shock. He saw Naruto launching a blue ball of rapidly swirling chakra at Mongoose, which annihilated it.

"What the hell was that for?!" Naruto yelled at Masago.

"He crashed in on my party," Masago said. "Took you long enough to get here." She put Tori back in its scroll and pulled out another one. "Ninpou: Buddha's Puppet Dance!" A four-foot sitting Buddha statue appeared on the ground. Masago jumped down and a hatch on the back of the statue's head opened up. She fed some chakra strings through the hole. Fifteen more hatches opened up with one chakra string coming out of each one. She summoned fifteen puppets and connected a string to each of them. "Buddha Kaiten Barrier," she said and a swirling sphere of chakra swirled around her and the statue.

"That looks like what Sasori did, kind of," Sakura remarked, remembering when Sasori summoned a hundred puppets against Elder Chiyo's ten.

"Where did you learn Kaiten from?" Naruto demanded.

"You can thank Hinata for the Kiaten," Masago said. "Ain't she a doll?"

"Why you—" Naruto said, almost going after her.

Gaara caught his arm and said, "I'm sure Hinata didn't know that teaching her that jutsu would lead to this."

"That's not the point!" the angry ramen-lover yelled, tearing Gaara's hand off his arm. He looked at Masago and said, "Why that obstinate little bi—"

"Naruto," Gaara said, once again laying hold on his arm. "Calm down. I have a plan."

"Eh?" Naruto bent down while Gaara gave him the plan.

"Nothing can save you now!" Masago said, launching her puppets at them. "You two shouldn't have crashed my party."

"Tajuu Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" A multitude of Narutos launched themselves at the puppets. Most of the puppets came at him with taijutsu and various cutting implements as Naruto kind of figured. What he didn't put into account was that a few can perform fire- and water-style jutsus and one of them even looked like a big metal gorilla. The gorilla lobbed a few clones into the neighboring village, but Naruto as always was resilient. He just kept making more and more while Gaara was on one knee looking like he was concentrating some chakra. Whenever a puppet came after Gaara, Naruto took it out. Masago also pulled out more and more puppets out of scrolls to make up for the damaged ones.

_What the hell are they up too?_ Masago wondered. Just then sand burst out of the ground. "What the—" was all she got out before she was enveloped in sand. The puppets became immobile and the Kaiten barrier dissipated.

Gaara had one arm outstretched and said, "Sabaku Kyuu!" He raised her up about ten feet and delivered a fatal blow. "Sabaku Sousou!" He clenched his fist.

"It worked!" Naruto said, getting rid of his shadow clones.

He spoke too soon.

The sand started to glow red and become goopy. This shocked both Naruto and Gaara. Gaara suddenly released his grip and looked at his hand. "What?" he said puzzled. "Burn marks?" The glob of burning ooze fell to the ground.

A glowing red figure rose from it with her head and arms down. Masago stayed like that for a few minutes.

"How come she survived your sand coffin?" Naruto asked Gaara, now spooked shitless.

Before he could give a reply Masago ran at him at blinding speed. Gaara had no time to react. She took a swipe at him and he flew hundreds of feet away. Masago ignored Naruto and went after Gaara.

"Looks like she won't go down any other way," Naruto remarked while concentrating chakra.

This was the third time Gaara stared death in the face. Masago was over him beating the crap out of his face. Somehow Gaara managed to rip her off him with sand. The sand instantly became goopy melted glass. He looked to his left and saw Naruto and his shadow clone both carrying a rather large sphere of charka. He knew that it was meant for her and put her in Naruto's path.

"Oodama Rasengan!" Naruto cried, lunging it right into Masago's side. The force was so great that it terminated the shadow clone and made Masago cough blood.

After the clouds of smoke and sand dissipated Naruto and Masago was in a huge crater in heaps. Naruto managed to crawl up to Masago.

"I've…failed…." Came a faint remark.

"What?" Naruto said, leaning close to her.

"Sakura'll explain…everything," she said, coughing more blood between words. She hastily made hand seals.

"You still want to fight?" Naruto said, shocked.

"No," Masago said. "Even though fighting until death is part of the Sand shinobi's ethos, I know when I'm beat. Figured it'd be the one to beat me first…." She put her arms around Naruto and said, "Goodbye…Naruto." Then she kissed him square on the lips. While this was happening she disintegrated into bits and pieces of dust which were carried off by the wind.

After Naruto recovered from the initial shock of what just happened, he staggered toward Sakura, passing a rather suspicious pile of sand in the outline of a person…. When he got there Sakura was freed by an exhausted Gaara.

"How did you—" Naruto began to say.

"His sand clone helped you fight Masago," Sakura interrupted. "While you were preoccupied his real body came and freed me."

"What happened to Masago?" Gaara asked.

"She died," Naruto said, with sadness in his voice. "She made herself disintegrate."

"I'm fine, thanks for asking," Sakura said, a bit surprised and miffed that Naruto hadn't asked about her condition. "It looks like you two need urgent care."

"Yeah," Naruto said, looking toward the crater. _I wonder if it's that easy_, he mused.

**xXx**

In the woods surrounding Kirigakure (Village Hidden In The Mist)….

A squad of Mist shinobi hunters were looking for a dangerous ninja they were alerted to. They gathered together around their captain. "Split up. Make sure he doesn't get away!"

"Yes, sir," they replied. Then they ran off deeper into the woods.

The captain turned around, looked up a tree, and said, "My, my. It certainly has been a long time…."

**xXx**

**THE END****…?**

**xXx**

**Author's Note: Thanks for your patience and comments! I hoped you liked this story. Well, there's nothing else to do but to write more chapters in my other story. Maybe I'll write another Naruto story with my own characters. Anywho, please comment. See ya later!**


End file.
